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Jokowi attended the launch, with his family in tow, to personally unveil the figure, becoming the first state leader to do so.

During his visit, the president said he hoped that his effigy would help promote Indonesian tourism. Behind the sculpture is a large LED screen showing images of the archipelago's infrastructure, people and tourist destinations. An image of Borobudur Temple was also shown during Jokowi’s visit.

“When people come to visit 'me', they can also enjoy the beautiful places in Indonesia,” said Jokowi. The President also asked the museum to change the image every month so that it would show other destinations in Indonesia, such as Labuan Bajo, Bali, Raja Ampat and Lake Toba, Antara news agency reported.

First lady Iriana Joko Widodo said she was surprised by how closely the figure resembled her husband. “It's 99 percent similar,” she said, adding that she herself provided the props used for the wax figure, such as two batik pieces of clothing, Jokowi’s signature white t-shirt and shoes.

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong general manager Jenny You said it was an honor to have Jokowi unveil the wax figure of himself. “We look forward to offering so many of our visitors the chance to get closer to one of the most influential leaders in the world,” said You.

Jokowi’s statue is placed among other world leaders' statues, such as former president Sukarno and Mahatma Gandhi in the museum’s Historical and National Heroes area.

Aside from launching his own wax figure, Jokowi also visited and took photos with the wax figure of Sukarno. (mas/kes)